Gaza Paramedic Released After 37 Days in Detention Amid Controversial Killings

The Palestinian paramedic's release follows accusations of systemic failures by the Israeli military during an incident that claimed the lives of emergency workers in Gaza.

 

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) announced that paramedic Assad al-Nassasra has been released after spending 37 days in Israeli detention. His release comes in the wake of a deadly incident in southern Gaza last month that resulted in the deaths of 15 emergency responders. Al-Nassasra had been missing for three weeks before the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed his detention status. He was reportedly one of ten detainees freed at an Israeli border crossing on Tuesday, although the Israeli military has not provided comments regarding his release.

The Israeli military previously acknowledged holding al-Nassasra during its internal inquiry into a March 23 attack in the Tal al-Sultan area, where ambulances and a UN vehicle were struck by gunfire. The inquiry revealed "several professional failures" that led to the deaths of eight PRCS paramedics, six firefighters from Gaza's Civil Defence, and one UN employee. The PRCS refuted the military’s conclusions, labeling them an attempt to offer a legal shield for what they described as a "war crime."

The incident unfolded during a series of emergency calls when multiple rescue vehicles were targeted. An initial Israeli military statement suggested troops fired on "suspicious vehicles" operating in the dark without headlights or emergency lights, but this narrative was later retracted following the emergence of video evidence, which showed the vehicles utilizing their emergency lights. The footage, captured by deceased paramedic Rifaat Radwan, depicts the moments leading up to the gunfire, with Radwan documenting his final prayers before his demise.

An April 20 summary from the Israeli military indicated that the tragedy stemmed from "an operational misunderstanding" as forces believed they were facing a threat. However, the report also included troubling affirmations regarding the actions of the deputy commander of the reconnaissance battalion, who was dismissed for providing an inaccurate report related to the incident.

The PRCS has vigorously condemned the military's findings, alleging a pattern of falsehoods aiming to frame rescue teams in Gaza as affiliated with Hamas and to justify the attacks on medical missions, which violate international humanitarian law. A senior UN humanitarian official in Gaza has cautioned that the absence of genuine accountability undermines international law and exacerbates global dangers, emphasizing the urgent need for humanitarian protections in conflict areas.